


another world, another chance

by towokuwusatsuwu



Series: Femslash February 2018: Tokusatsu Edition [4]
Category: Kamen Rider Decade
Genre: Cultural Differences, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Mush, Light Angst, Multiverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 20:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13620894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/towokuwusatsuwu/pseuds/towokuwusatsuwu
Summary: Nega Natsumi finds herself in Kiva World. She has lived her life in fear of the Fangire who rules her world with an iron fist. But the Fangire of Kiva World are hardly the monsters that Kurenai Otoya makes her fear.





	another world, another chance

The bed beneath her is comfortable and plush unlike the thin mattresses and futons thrown on top of dirty ground that she has grown used to over the years. Hikari Natsumi had grown up on the run, learning to fear the sight of crimson body armor and the posh voice of Kurenai Otoya. If she wanted to survive in her world for as long as possible, then she had to learn how to fear the man who held that world in the palm of his hand and used it like a toy.

That had meant learning to fear the fluttering red bat who followed him everywhere and the stained glass rainbows that painted his skin a moment before he transformed. Before Natsumi knew anything else, she knew the name  _ Fangire _ and what horrible things it meant for her and her friends. She had been brought up fearing Fangire more than most humans.

So when she opens her eyes slowly and finds a woman standing in front of her with a similar red bat floating over her shoulder, she shrieks and rears backward. Most likely, she would have fallen, but the woman catches her by the wrist and rights her quickly.

“You almost fell,” she says, frowning when Natsumi tries to jerk away from her. “What’s wrong?”

A voice speaks from the doorway, drawing Natsumi’s eyes. “Her world had a Fangire king.”

The boy standing there sparks some kind of memory in Natsumi and she reaches for it quickly, needing to know who this is, needing to know if she should be afraid of him. The image she uncovers is a poorly taken photograph, and that relaxes her more than it has any right to; Kadoya Tsukasa had taken pictures of the Riders he had defended in other worlds and this boy had been one of them, the king of his world, a young boy named Wataru. He had also been half-Fangire; she remembered Tsukasa telling her about that privately.

The woman’s lips press together into a thin line and she shakes her head. “He isn’t one of ours, is he? I wouldn’t put it past some of them to take off into another world to fight.”

“No, Tsukasa showed me pictures of the man should he ever turn up here.” The boy sighs heavily; the yellow bat floating beside him touches his shoulder. “Your name is Natsumi?”

A frown tugs at Natsumi’s lips and she stops fighting the woman. “How did you know that?”

“Tsukasa has been here to visit recently and he had his album of Riders with him.” The boy takes a step into the room and bows his head. “My name is Wataru. I’m the Fangire king.”

“And my name is Yuki, the Fangire queen,” the woman says, and Natsumi furrows her brows as the information settles in. “We aren’t married. The Fangire have bloodline royalty.”

Tsukasa had been here recently, which means this world is safe and the two people ruling over it must be safe as well. If they had been villains, Tsukasa likely would have taken them down to help restore order and to give rise to the Rider who was supposed to protect this world. Natsumi had learned enough about him in his limited time in her world to have faith that he would have done the right thing. He was drawn to it; she has nothing to be afraid of here.

Yuki sits on the edge of the bed, stretching out a hand to touch Natsumi’s face. Despite the fact she is the same kind of monster as Kurenai Otoya, her touch is surprisingly light and gentle. “You had a fever when we found you. You were passed out in the woods. What happened to you? One of our kind wasn’t chasing you, was he?”

“No, I…” Natsumi screws her eyes shut, trying to remember exactly what happened to lead her here. She remembers nothing more than Otoya’s delighted laughter, the flares of black and red crashing into the trees around her, threatening to end her life should one make contact. “I was running from Otoya. I don’t really remember what happened. I fell, I know that much. And then I woke up here. Where did you find me?”

Wataru comes to stand closer to her bed; the yellow bat lands neatly on his shoulder. “About a mile into the tree line. Two of my men brought you back when they found you. You’ll be pleased to learn, I’m sure, that Fangire here are relatively harmless except a handful of rogues.”

“We’ve been working hard to make relations between humans and Fangire are positive instead of ending with death and ruin.” Yuki smiles thinly, and Natsumi can only imagine how difficult that must have been for the two of them. No one would have been able to convince her that the stained glass demons were anything more than monsters hellbent on killing humans.

“So, two of your Fangire found me and brought me to the castle?” When Wataru nods, Natsumi drops her head into her hands, massaging her temples where a headache threatens to form. “I don’t really remember how I got here. I wasn’t lying when I said that.”

A hand comes to rest on her back, rubbing soothing circles into her skin through the layers of her shirts; Yuki speaks in a soft and warm voice. “I know it might be a lot to take in right now. I can’t begin to imagine what you must have gone through before coming here. But at least for now, you’re safe here.”

“If Kurenai Otoya shows his face, we will handle him. Dark Kiva may be powerful as Tsukasa warned, but I have faith in myself and my friends.” Wataru beams up at her, and it takes Natsumi a moment to realize that his yellow bat must also be a transformation device of sorts to turn him into a Kamen Rider. “So for now, you can relax.”

“Thank you. I think I need a bit more rest. I… Admittedly, it’s difficult to get a good night’s sleep back home,” Natsumi says.

The two royals bid her farewell and give her space, and Natsumi falls back on the mattress in shock.

* * *

“Are you sure?” Tsukasa’s camera dangles from the ends of his long fingers, his soft brown eyes fixed on her. Uncharacteristically, he looks serious when he speaks to her.

Natsumi drags the heel of her shoe through the soft earth beneath their feet, her eyes rising to Castle Doran in front of them. She had been here for only three days, and the prospect of going home should have been exciting to her. It isn’t. She doesn’t really want to go just yet.

“I’m sure.” She tugs at the end of her sleeve. “I want to spend just a little bit longer here.”

Tsukasa nods slowly. “Well, I’ll respect your wishes. I’m going to go check up on Wataru now.”

He lets himself into the castle and Natsumi smiles faintly at that; Tsukasa seems to find himself at home no matter what world he steps into and she had been privy to just how close Tsukasa and Wataru were, that Tsukasa and Yusuke were almost like the parents Wataru never had.

Yuki had told her that story, about Wataru’s human mother and his Fangire father, about his brave and true mother who had died for the future she had given to her son and about how his father had martyred himself to give Wataru the strength he needed to see the future through. It’s all bullshit to her. She knows what it’s like to struggle for an unobtainable future, though.

“Tsukasa says you’ll be staying with us for a while longer.” The familiar voice lifts her from her thoughts and Natsumi fixes her eyes on the doorway of the castle where Yuki now stands.

She had been more than welcoming, had shown Natsumi around the city and encouraged her to explore onward if she wanted to. Proud and regal as any woman who calls herself queen should aspire to be, and Natsumi had been just a little entranced by her if she is being honest. And for the first time in her life, she felt no desire to run when Yuki had first taken her Fangire form in order to punish one of her kind who had attempted to take the life of a human.

As a Fangire she had been beautiful, a stunning array of rainbow and twisting vines that did nothing to distract from the fact she was truly beautiful. Natsumi had learned that some Fangire could be beautiful, that when they were stripped of being monsters that they were intricate and gorgeous as if crafted by some higher power Natsumi isn’t even sure she believes in.

Yuki sits beside her on the bench in front of the castle, a stunning vision in a black dress with a Victorian gothic flair. It seems to be a favorite of the Fangire race in general, a slight flair for the dramatic Natsumi could understand even if it all seems a bit much to her. She had kept to only the essentials for so long she could no longer imagine having the chance to relax and try new things and be comfortable in outlandish styles that would make running and fighting hard.

“I’m glad to know you’re comfortable enough to want to spend more time here. And of course, you’re welcome to. Our offer still stands that if you would like some of our Royal Army to accompany you back home…” Yuki trails off, cocking her head at Natsumi, smiling slightly.

Natsumi shakes her head. “I’m fine for now. I really am. I’ve lost a lot of sleep over the years, so it’s nice to have a chance to catch up on it. And your Fangire really are, for the most part, harmless.”

“They are. We’ve worked hard to make it this far, and we have no intention of slowing down now. Not when we’re so close.” When Yuki speaks of her dream, her color runs high, her eyes shining.

“Well,” Natsumi says slowly, “from my position, you’re doing a really great job.”

“Thank you.” Yuki preens at the praise, and Natsumi thinks that she really  _ is _ pretty. “That reminds me. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with me on a trip tomorrow.”

It’s Natsumi’s turn to cock her head, blowing the hair that falls into her face back. “A trip? Where are you going? And why do you want me to come with you?”

“I’ve got other Fangire-human settlements to visit, and local leaders to speak to. Usually, I take the Royal Guard with me to keep me safe.” Yuki looks thoughtful for a moment before she turns, giving Natsumi her full attention. “But I thought bringing a human guard might be a nice touch. Make it more obvious that we really do want a future where Fangire and human live in peace.”

Natsumi blinks at her. A human guard? Natsumi had sparred with some of the Royal Guard, the fierce Rook and the talented Bishop, and with Wataru’s own personal attendants because she wants to make sure her skills are honed before she goes back home. Even without a Rider suit, she might become a match for Otoya in hand-to-hand combat provided she can keep his Kivat from coming to his aid. But her skills? Strong enough to guard the Fangire queen?

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Yuki says quickly.

“No, no, I just…” The Royal Guard are expected to protect the queen because Wataru has protection of his own and no one can really touch the strength of Kiva, not even if they want to. But her? A human? Strong enough to protect Yuki? “I might not be much compared to your Fangire.”

Yuki smiles, blindingly bright, and takes Natsumi’s hand in both of hers, callused human skin against impossibly soft and smooth Fangire skin. “You are. I know that you are.”

Natsumi swallows hard around a tightness in her throat. “Well, then, I’d be glad to come with you.”

“I’m so glad. We’ve been getting along so well, it’ll be a chance to get to know you better.” Yuki beams at her and squeezes her hand before letting it go. “I really will look forward to that.”

Natsumi doesn’t know what to say to that. She’s bound to make mistakes because she’s been scraping by and has no idea what kind of Fangire decorum will be necessary, or if she can even be an asset when she’s spent most of her life running from a Fangire. But she smiles at the prospect of getting to know Yuki better. That part won’t be so bad, after all.


End file.
